Universal joint



Nov. 20, 1928.

E. P. EDWARDS UNIVERSAL JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1927' INVENTOR Nov. 20, 1928.

E. P. EDWARDS UNIVERSAL JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheef 2 Filed Farch 25, 1927 v INVENTOR e ffidzuaz'dr Patented Nov. 20, 19 28.

UNITEDSTAMENT OFFICE. I

EUGENE P. EDW'ARDS, OF FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SIIIPLEX UNI- VERSAL JOIN'IKINQ, OF FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. I

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Application filed March 25, 1927. Serial No. 178,166.

This invention relates to a universal joint and more particularly to a universal joint f the ball and socket type in which as is customary a pin is provided to extend through 6 and beyond the surface of the ball and in which in the casing of the joint there is a socket provided with bearings to receivethe projecting endsof the pin. In this particular type of joint in order to permit the o nt 1 to operate with a minimum amount of fr ction itis necessary to form the parts with exact precision. This is due to the fact that the bearings for the ends of the pinas generally constructed are fixed in, position and usually form a part of the socket member of the device. In carrying out my invention, however, I provide bearings which are rev oluble in the casing and are so journaled therein as to permit of a revoluble movement but'not to permit of a lateral or radial movement of the bearings relatively to the casing of the structure, whereby the bearings for the ends of the pin are made self-aligning and there is no lost movement of the bearings in a transverse direction. These features, to-

' ether with other structural features of the ]0iIlt will be hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a central longi- 80 tudinal section and partial elevation of a universal joint made in accordance withmy present-invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan showing thecover removed to'illustrate the construction of the interior 8!! of the socket member of the joint, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the self-aligning cylindrical bearings. As hereinbefore stated, the universal joint to which this invention relates is of the ball and socket type. The socket member of the joint comprises a casing consisting of a cylindrical member 10 having a flange 11 at one end thereof and providedat the other end with a cap 12, together with a cover 13'hav-V 5 ing a flange 14 which is, a companion to the flange 11 and adaptedto be connected thereto by suitable bolts or otherwise, and which cover is constructed with 'acentrally disposed hub 15. The hub 15 is adapted to be connected to a shaft 16, the reduced end' 17 of which passes into the hub and may be secured in position by a nut 18 and also by a suitable key 19 or otherwise.

The cap 12 is constructed to have a peripheral cylindrical portion which is interiorly recessed and the adjacent outer portion of exteriorly recessed so as to receive the cap 12 and these parts are then suitably :secured to one another by welding or in any other manner known to the art. It will be undermaking the parts of the casing in separate members and connecting them is for expediency in manufacture. Furthermore, as illustrated, the cap member 12 is interiorly provided with a circular recess 20 and with an opening 21 together with a recess indicated at 22. vThe cylindrical member 10 of the casing is provided in oppositely disposed positions with cylindrical bores 23 and 24. These bores are appreciably more than semicircular and extend longitudinally the full length of the cylindrical member of the cas ing. These bores are adapted respectively to receive cylindrical bearings 26 and 27. As indicated in Fig.3 of the-drawing each of these cylindrical bearings is provided with a longitudinal groove 28. The base oft-he groove 28 is formed on the arc of a circle as indicated at 29 and theoppositely disposed lateral walls defining this groove; are preferably parallcl and the edge portions thereof cated at 30. In the cylindrical member 10 of the casing there are recessed portions as indicated at 31 and 32 in positions oppositely disposed and preferably midway between the bores 23 and 24. These recesses 31 and 32 are for the double purpose of reducing the here for the reception and retention of grease or any other-suitable lubricant.

,Within the casing or socket member there is a ball member 33, integral with or suitably secured to the end of a shaft 34 which passes through the opening 21in the cap of ribs 35 and interveningrecessesv for the reception of a counter-part structurecarrled by a sleeve to form a slip oint. Of course,

bea drive shaft and the shaft 34 a driven shaft, or vice versa depending upon the manare formed with spherical recesses as indiweight of the casing and providing cham-' the cylindrical member 10 of the casing is stood, of course, that the only .reason for,

the casing and exteriorly thereof is provided with a series of c1rcumferent1ally arranged itwill be understood that the shaft 16 may I n'e-rin which the ]oint is connected foruse.

The ball member 33; is made with a trans-f verse.hope to receive a pin 36 whichp as'se s' throu h the same and extends beyond the periphery thereof. The outer ends of'the pin extend into tlie grooites 28 in thedylindrical bearing members 26 and 27, which grooves form bearings for the ends of the pin. The ends of the pin'are flattened as indicated at 37 so as to fit within the grooved hearings in the cylindrical members and at the inner ends of the flattened faces of the pin the surface is preferably made spherical as indicated at 38 so as to engage the correspondingly shaped and adjacent portion of the surface of the socket in the same manner as shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,4147 ,934 granted to me, March 6, 1923.

Fitting in the recess 22 there is a ring memher 39 through which theshaft 34 passes and which at its inner end is so constructed as to "Wipe the Surface of the ball member 33 and to prevent the leakage of the lubricant from the casing. This particular construction, however, forms no material part of the present invention.

In the operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described, as will now be understood, while the parts may be made with exactness, it' is not necessary to make them with the same precision as if the cylindrical bearing members were not constructed to align themselves with the projecting ends of the pin,

and furthermore, while the cylindrical bearing members are revoluble in the hearings or journals in which they fit due to the fact that these hearings or journals are more than semi-circular, there can be no lateral or radial movement inthese cylindrical bearing members, it being understood that the revoluble movement of the cylindrical hearings to adjust themselves automatically tov position rel atively to the ends of the pin is possible be cause of the recessed edge portions of the lateral walls defining the grooves in these bearings with a part of which the surface of the ball contacts as well as with the spherical socket or stud provided for the ballin those 7 l ortions of the socket intermediate of the in" the said ball head, the said res for the bearingsand the recesses intermediate thereof. fTclaim as my invention :1

1. In a universal joint, a cylindrical casing having oppositely disposed walls in which there aresimilarly placed longitudinal bores, cylindrical bearingmembers each fitting within one of said bores and having a longitudinal groove thereiniwith the edge portions defining the groove havingfa spherical adaptedto co-operate with said spherical reportions in the. part of the bearing whiclr extends outside of the bore, a shaft extending through one end of the casing and having' a ball head adapted to lie within the casing, a pin extending through and journaledin a bore rovided therefor in the ball head of the she t, the pin extending beyond the surface of the ball headand having its ends provided with flattened faces, there being'spherical shoulders at the. inner ends of the flattened faces of the ends of the pin, the flattened faces of the pin being adapted to fit and operate in the grooves in the c lindrical bearings and the sphericalshou ders on the pins and the adjacent surface of the ball head to bear against and co-operate with the spherical recesses in the projecting portions of the bearin andmeans for securing a second shaft tot e said cylindrical casing. 3. In a universal joint, a cylindrical casing having aflan e at one end thereof and oppositely disposed walls therein, there being similarly placed longitudinal bores inthe said oppositely disposed walls ofbthe casing, cylindrical bearing members each fitting within one at. the said cylindrical bores with a part of each cylindrical bearing member ex tending transverselyoutsideof its bore, each cylindrical bearing having a longitudinally disposed groovewlth sphericalrecesses in the outer portions defining the said longitudinal groove, a shaft having a ball head, the shaft passing through one end of the cylindrical casing and the ball head fitting betweenthe with spherical shoulders at the inner: ends of the fiattenedfaces, thegflattened faces'of the pin beingadapted to engage in the grooves in the-cylindrical bearings and the spherical shoulders of thepin and the adjacent surface of the ball head to engage and co-operate with the spherical recesses of the cylindrical bearings-a cover, means for connecting the cover tothe flanged end ofthe cylindrical casing, the said cover bearing against corresp'ending ends of the said cylindrical bearings, and a second shaft connected'to the said coverfi u i i a i Signed by methis 16 'day of March, 1927. i EUGENE Pl EDWARDS. 

